Like most parents, I set strict limits on my kids' TV watching. But if they're sick, all of that is out the window! If they're really sick, they can watch it all day if they want to. I remember doing that as a kid, and it was the only thing that really took my mind off of how miserable I felt.

Well, next week my daughter is getting her tonsils out. I am really nervous about the recovery period, so I've already ordered her a bunch of new books, I've made a list of foods to get at the store so we can be prepared for when we get home, and now I'm trying to figure out what movies to have at the ready. She's six, so of course she adores the princess movies and Tinkerbell, but I'm thinking I need to find something really new and exciting. Being the daughter of a mom who writes about kids' movies, she has seen most of what is already out, so I think I may have to go old school. My thoughts so far are Annie, Swiss Family Robinson, and Pollyanna. Do those bring back any memories?

What do your kids love to watch or do when they don't feel well?

Kids can learn as they celebrate this week with movies, books and crafts that focus on the 4th of July and the founding of our nation. Great patriotic DVDs like Patrick Henry and Paul Revere from History's Heroes focus on the founding of America and are both fun and educational for kids. Other movies like Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, which is an amazing movie set in the time of the Great Depression, help kids understand a little about different times in American history.

More ways to celebrate:

• Children's Books that Celebrate America
• Heroes, Symbols and Stories of the USA
• Independence Day Crafts

(Photo © The American Animation Studios)

Princess Protection Program was the third biggest debut out of the 76 Disney Channel Original Movies that have ever aired. 8.5 million viewers is pretty darn good, but I bet Disney is disappointed that the numbers didn't surpass last year's Camp Rock. For fans who missed the movie, or those who can't wait to watch it over and over again, Disney will release the Princess Protection Program BFF Extended Edition DVD this Tuesday. I think this is the fastest that they've ever released a DVD after the original movie air date.

(Photo © Disney)

I remember when the show Supernanny had just started. We watched a couple of episodes, and it didn't bother us if the kids were running around and happened to stay and watch a little of the show. We would just talk to them about any bad behavior they saw from the kids on TV, and since the behavior was cast in an unpleasant light, it almost seemed like our kids would try to act better just to show they weren't like the kids being naughty on TV.

We never got into the show Jon and Kate Plus 8, but it's hard to miss the updates all over TV and the Internet now that the couple is reportedly breaking up. Many of the blogs and articles wonder, and rightfully so, how the divorce and life in the spotlight will affect the Gosselin children. But, I also wonder how the show will affect viewing kids. Many families have followed the show together. Are the Gosselin's intimate family problems too much for viewing kids to take, or does the show offer an opportunity for productive family discussions?

What about kids who have suffered through their own parents' divorce? Is it devastating or enlightening to watch the TV family and view firsthand the parents' struggles in raising their kids together?

Reality TV is definitely a genre that has positives and negatives. The messages conveyed in reality series carry a different kind of weight, since what is being portrayed is supposedly "real life" or "true." The perspective means that we may need to be even more diligent in making an informed decision whether or not to let kids watch, and in discussing the issues the show brings out as a family in order to ensure kids get the right message. I know I've said this before, but it is so true, we never know what assumptions our kids are making about the world when they see things on TV. The situations being portrayed may seem so obvious and logical to us, but kids can come to some pretty interesting conclusions at times. Even reality TV shows can be turned into a positive experience, though, if a good family discussion ensues.